Chess board setup in one paragraph
Turn the board so each player has a light square in the bottom-right corner. Put the rooks in the corners, the knights next to them, then the bishops. The queen goes on the middle square of her own colour and the king takes the last one. Fill the row in front with pawns, and set up Black as a mirror of White.
How to set up a chess board, step by step
- Turn the board. Place the board so the bottom-right square is light for both players. The rule is light on the right.
- Rooks in the corners. Put the rooks on a1 and h1 for White, a8 and h8 for Black.
- Knights next to the rooks. Put the knights on b1 and g1, and on b8 and g8.
- Bishops next to the knights. Put the bishops on c1 and f1, and on c8 and f8.
- Queen on her own colour. The white queen goes on d1, a light square. The black queen goes on d8, a dark square. The queens face each other.
- King on the last square. The king goes on the square left over: e1 for White, e8 for Black.
- Pawns in front. Put the eight white pawns on the second rank (a2 to h2) and the eight black pawns on the seventh rank (a7 to h7).
- Check and start. Each player now has 16 pieces. White moves first.
Chess board layout: where each piece starts
Files are the columns, a to h from White's left. Ranks are the rows, 1 to 8 from White's side. Black's pieces mirror White's across the middle of the board.
| Piece | Each side | White | Black |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rook | 2 | a1, h1 | a8, h8 |
| Knight | 2 | b1, g1 | b8, g8 |
| Bishop | 2 | c1, f1 | c8, f8 |
| Queen | 1 | d1 | d8 |
| King | 1 | e1 | e8 |
| Pawn | 8 | a2 to h2 | a7 to h7 |
Common setup mistakes
- The board is turned the wrong way. If the bottom-right corner is dark, every piece ends up on the wrong colour. Turn the board a quarter turn.
- King and queen are swapped. Check the queen: a white queen on a dark square, or a black queen on a light one, means the king and queen have traded places.
- Knights and bishops are swapped. The knights stand next to the rooks. If a bishop touches a rook, swap the pair.
- The queens do not face each other. Both queens start on the d-file and both kings on the e-file. If the white queen faces the black king, one side is set up backwards.
Frequently asked questions
Does the king go on the right or the left?
It depends on the side. White's king starts on e1, to the right of the queen. Black's king starts on e8, which is to the left of the queen from Black's chair. The two kings face each other on the e-file.
Does the queen go on her own colour?
Yes. The white queen starts on d1, a light square, and the black queen starts on d8, a dark square. The king then takes the square beside her.
Which colour square goes in the bottom-right corner?
A light square. Each player should have a light square in the bottom-right corner, which is where the phrase light on the right comes from. If that corner is dark, turn the board.
How many pieces does each player start with?
Sixteen: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns. Both sides start with the same pieces.
Who moves first in chess?
White always moves first. After that the players take turns, one move each.
Set up a different position in the board editor, or play it out on the analysis board.